For the third time in 8 races, Justin Allgaier is a winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season.
The driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet held off late challenges from Landon Cassill and teammate Noah Gragson to bring home the victory in the Crayon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“We finished second last year to one (a Toyota),” Allgaier said. “I told these guys I really wanted to win here. This place is so much fun over the years. First of all, it’s my wife’s birthday today. If I can’t be with my wife on her birthday, the best way to do it is take home a trophy to her.
Justin Allgaier on his way to his third victory of the season. (David Moulthrop Photo)
“Just felt like all day I wasn’t doing a good job and the guys kept me calm and were doing great pit stops all day. Eddie D’Hondt is awesome up on the spotter’s stand. Just really proud of this team.”
The victory was Chevrolet’s first at New Hampshire since Kevin Harvick won in 2007.
Allgaier led 47 laps, including the final 18 circuits en route to winning his 19th career Xfinity Series race.
Behind Allgaier, part-time Joe Gibbs Racing driver Trevor Bayne notched another second place finish, his second in a row.
“Congratulations to (Justin) Allgaier again,” Bayne said. “This is the second time I’ve run second to him – Nashville and here. Our car was good, but as the grip compound wore out of the race track, I feel like we got behind early in the race and actually got free in the second run, late in the run and took us a while to get it back. Felt like we gave up some in the short run speed there. On restarts, it was chaos. That’s why my car looks the way it does. People missing shifts and putting us four wide. I think if we could have got there or been up front a little sooner, I think we had a shot. Allgaier was just a little better on that short run.”
Landon Cassill initially finished third. However after post-race inspection, the driver of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet was disqualified for the car being too low in the rear.
Also disqualified after failing post-race inspection was the No. 9 JR Motorsports team of Noah Gragson. Gragson finished fourth, however NASCAR found that the car was too low in the front. JR Motorsports will not appeal the penalty.
With the disqualifications, Brandon Brown unofficially finished in third. For Brown, it was his best finish of the season after leading 12 laps on the day.
In stage one, it looked to be a familiar New Hampshire trend, with a pair of Toyota’s leading the field in Bayne and Ty Gibbs.
Toyota had previously won the last six Xfinity Series races at the Magic Mile.
A caution would shake up the field on lap 34, after Allgaier made contact with rookie Julia Landauer, sending her into the fronstretch inside wall.
Julia Landauer's @NASCAR_Xfinity Series debut ends early at @NHMS.Take a look at the contact between her and Justin Allgaier. #NASCAR📺 : @USA_Network pic.twitter.com/oNq4C8gqQD
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 16, 2022
It would be Landauer’s first career start in the series. She would wind up finishing 38th after tangling with Matt Mills on lap 98.
Ryan Sieg would take the first stage victory, after pit strategy left the No. 39 Ford out front to take the top stage points.
In a calmer stage two, Cup Series regular William Byron would win the stage, after getting around Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs for the lead on lap 82.
Gibbs would run into trouble one lap after getting passed by Byron, as he radioed to the No. 54 team that his brakes were shaking.
The 4-time winner this year would be negated to a 23rd place finish, four laps down after multiple pit stops for a mechanical issue.
Coming to the green and white checkered flag to end stage two, Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric would get into the left-rear quarter panel of Gragson in turns three and four, sending the No. 9 around without any damage.
After stage three got underway, A flat tire on lap 104 while leading would cause trouble for Byron.
However, in turn three on the same lap, Daniel Hemric would lose a tire from the seventh position and get into the wall, bringing out a timely caution.
As the dust began to settle, Cassill would take command, though more calamity was on the horizon.
After losing the lead to Cassill on a restart, Josh Berry would get turned in turn two by Sheldon Creed while battling for third.
The accident would collect JR Motorsports teammate Sam Mayer, Sieg, Riley Herbst, Jeb Burton and Myatt Snider. Burton would make heavy contact with Sieg, sending his rear tires up in the air for a moment before coming to a rest on the backstretch.
MASSIVE CRASH.Josh Berry spins and Jeb Burton sends Ryan Sieg in the air at @NHMS. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/TUgWGw8q1J
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 16, 2022
The accident would bring out a red flag briefly, before going back to green flag action on lap 138.
Two laps later, Creed would make it four-wide heading down the backstretch to take over second, before nabbing the lead away from Brown.
More trouble ensued with 58 laps to go. A.J. Allmendinger and Alex Labbe made contact coming out of turn four, forcing the Toyota of Brandon Jones to check up, which led to Brett Moffitt sending Jones into the inside wall.
The final stretch would prove to be a race between Cassill and Allgaier.
After Creed slipped back on the ensuing restart, Cassill would lose the lead to Allgaier.
Then with 39 laps to go, Byron’s engine expired, sending him to the garage and a 28th place finish.
One final caution would be thrown with 27 to go, due to Akinori Ogata dropping fluid on the track.
Once getting back to green, Cassill would take the lead from Allgaier heading to turn one.
Though Allgaier would get the last shot, after retaking the lead away from Cassill coming out of turn 2 for the final time with 19 laps to go.
In a chaotic 200 miles, only 19 cars finished on the lead lap.
Keyword: Allgaier Survives In Thrilling New Hampshire Victory